Suffian is now staying at a government-managed old folks home in the Cheng township after the state ordered the All Mighty Old Folks Home sealed.

Suffian claimed that several other residents also witnessed the abuse that Samy suffered prior to his death, but were afraid to tell anyone or even talk about it for fear that a similar fate would befall them.

"However, we are not afraid any more, because we hear the caretaker has been arrested," he added.

He said the 29-year-old former employee who lodged a report against the caretaker on Oct 4 was also aware of the incident involving Samy.

Another former resident, Baharudin Mahmod, 54, said he was relieved that the caretaker was in lock-up.

The wheelchair-bound Baharu­din said he and the others always felt like they were prisoners.

"There was no freedom. We were not allowed to watch television or talk and socialise with each other.

"We were also not allowed to be outside our room or sit in the hall after certain hours.

"Our life was like hell in a cell then. We could not tell other people and even if we did, nobody would believe us, as the caretaker always acted like a caring man whenever family members or volunteers were around," he said.

Baharudin, who has also been sent to the same home as Suffian, said he now felt like a new man, as he could move around freely without anyone continuously trying to find fault with him.

"The caretaker used to beat us up and warned us not to tell anyone or we would face consequences.

"He was only interested in getting money out of us, and not about our welfare," he said.

An eyewitness to the incident caught on video, which went viral on social media, said the elderly woman who was seen being beaten by a man could have been suffering from a stomach ache.

He said the man was annoyed because the old woman kept wanting to use the toilet.

Hamdan Aspan, 55, said the woman in her late 70s had gone to the toilet several times prior to the incident.

"Even going to the toilet seems to be an issue, as the caretaker wanted us to sit like puppets and only move when there were visitors," he added.

Malacca police chief Deputy Comm Datuk Ramli Din said police would interview the former residents of the home, and also probe their claims against the caretaker's previous wrongdoings and allegations of missing public donations.